Partnerships

Ask for Angela is a shorthand phrase that lets someone signal they need assistance quickly, quietly and without fuss. If you need support when out, you can ask for “Angela” and trained staff will respond calmly and appropriately, taking your lead. Because everyone deserves to feel safe.

How it works:

• Ask for “Angela”at a participating venue or organisation.
• Staff recognise it as a request for help.
• Support is provided discreetly, in the way you want it. This may be help to leave, being supported to stay, contacting security or escalating where needed.
• Venues can access free setup support and resources from the national support organisation.

Best Bar None (BBN) helps customers to identify well-run pubs, bars, clubs and other businesses that serve alcohol. Supported by the Home Office, the drinks and hospitality industries, the accreditation assesses against four themes:

• Venue management: assesses security measures and steps taken to reduce noise, litter and other effects the business may have;
• Staff training and care: considers how staff are supported by the business to perform their role, develop and grow, and to protect their wellbeing;
• Customer safety and welfare: reviews how well the venue takes care of its customers including preventing alcohol being sold to those under 18;
• Customer service and community: recognises that businesses work hard to provide a warm welcome to their customers and the communities they are part of.

Accreditation lasts for a year, and the assessment is regularly updated to ensure current priorities such as the safety of women and girls are included. Every accredited business receives a personalised report with advice and ideas about how to provide an even safer and more welcoming place for customers to have fun and socialise.

CAP (Community Alcohol Partnerships) exists to reduce alcohol harm in local communities from drinking by young people under 25, with a particular emphasis on preventing underage drinking. CAP was piloted by the Retail of Alcohol Standards Group (RASG) in 2007. The model and evaluation framework has since been extensively tested with the result that CAP is now considered one of the most effective ways of tackling localised underage drinking with over 380 partnerships across the UK.CAP’s mission is achieved via a partnership approach embracing Education, Engagement, Entertainment, Enforcement and Evaluation.

Drinkaware is an independent charity which aims to reduce alcohol-related harm by helping people make better choices about their drinking. Drinkaware is the UK’s leading alcohol charity, they work closely with industry, governments, communities, and individuals to reduce alcohol harm in the UK. They provide evidence-based information on alcohol related harms and array of free tools and resources to help consumers moderate their alcohol consumption, including their Drinking Check.

The International Alliance for Responsible Drinking (IARD) is a not‑for‑profit organization dedicated to reducing harmful drinking and promoting understanding of responsible drinking. It is supported by leading global beer, wine, and spirits producers who have united around a common purpose: to be part of the solution in combating harmful drinking. To advance this shared mission, IARD works with and partners across the public sector, civil society, and private stakeholders.

IARD actively supports international goals to reduce harmful drinking, including the World Health Organization’s (WHO) “Noncommunicable Diseases (NCD) Global Monitoring Framework” target of reducing the harmful use of alcohol by at least 10% by 2025, as well as the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3.5. IARD’s member companies also contribute positively to a broad range of SDGs and are committed to doing even more.

The Local Alcohol Partnerships Group (LAPG) was established towards the end of 2012 and brings together representatives from local partnership schemes which tackle alcohol harm in town and city centres and local communities.

The alcohol industry has been committed to tackling crime, disorder and underage sales for many years. Based at the heart of local communities and an important economic driver for many towns and cities, the alcohol industry has worked hard to raise standards in licensed premises and improve the local social environment to the benefit of the community as a whole. The industry has developed and funded new and innovative partnerships with local authorities and police forces to great effect.

Business-led schemes can help address a range of night time economy issues, including:

• Tackling crime and anti-social behaviour

• Creating safer high streets

• Preventing underage drinking

• Ensuring responsible alcohol marketing

• Improving the local commercial environment

• Providing alcohol education and information

These partnerships complement each other, and can be integrated into existing local partnership structures to create a valuable toolkit to tackle specific alcohol-related issues.

The National Organisation for FASD is dedicated to supporting people with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD), their families and communities. It promotes education for professionals and public awareness about the risks of alcohol consumption during pregnancy. National FASD is a source for information on FASD to the general public, press and to medical and educational professionals.

With the support of the Portman Group, National FASD have launched the Just One Choice campaign, which campaign highlights the importance of avoiding alcohol for the nine months of pregnancy, and ensuring the alcohol industry is a part of getting this message visible where alcohol is produced, promoted and sold.

National PubWatch (NPW) is an entirely voluntary organisation established to support existing Pubwatch schemes and encourage the creation of new ones across the UK. It’s key aim is to help achieve a safe, secure and responsibly led social drinking environment in all licensed premises, thereby reducing alcohol-related crime and anti-social behaviour. NPW is entirely funded by the pub trade and provides all its services free of charge.

The Retail of Alcohol Standards Group is a coalition of UK retailers dedicated to ensuring the responsible sale of alcohol, both in-store and online. We actively monitor legal requirements, industry trends and regulatory changes, providing best practices and guidance to support operational compliance.

Created in 2005 and tasked by the then Government to do more to tackle the issue of underage sales and underage drinking, they quickly developed and launched the Challenge 21, now Challenge 25, scheme. The scheme is now commonplace in supermarkets all over the UK and increasingly common amongst independent retailers and  the on-trade. The simplicity of the scheme means that it is being adopted by retailers as an age verification step for any  age-restricted product, including lottery, tobacco, knives, DVDs and/or video games. This  nationwide uptake and wide application has resulted in a reset of consumer expectations, insofar as those that look under 25 now expect to be asked for  proof of age and see this as the norm rather than the exception.

The Scottish Alcohol Industry Partnership is a vehicle for industry partners to work together to support, devise and deliver initiatives that promote responsible consumption and tackle harmful drinking. The Partnership works on a national and local level with a range of stakeholders including Police Scotland, local authorities, Best Bar None, Community Alcohol Partnerships and Drinkaware. Measures include ‘It’ll Cost You’ aimed at tackling the proxy purchasing of alcohol for minors, and a campaign to further promote the uptake of 125ml measures for wine.